Lithiophilic Current Collector Technologies for Lithium Metal Anodes

Lithium metal anodes promise exceptionally high energy density for next-generation batteries but are plagued by uneven lithium deposition, rapid capacity fade and safety hazards arising from dendritic growth. Lithiophilic current collectors offer a compelling route to mitigate these issues by providing surfaces that preferentially attract lithium ions, thus guiding uniform nucleation and suppressing needle-like protrusions. Advances in three-dimensional scaffolds, surface chemistry modifications and patterned architectures have combined to improve cycle life, Coulombic efficiency and practical energy metrics. By tailoring pore geometry, crystallographic facets or functional coatings, researchers have demonstrated pathways to accommodate volume changes, reduce local current density and stabilise the solid–electrolyte interphase. Collectively, these strategies aim to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale promise and industrial relevance for high-capacity lithium metal batteries.

Research from Nature Portfolio

One seminal study introduced a three-dimensional current collector featuring a submicron copper skeleton with greatly enhanced electroactive surface area. This architecture accommodated lithium within its framework, effectively suppressing dendrite formation and enabling stable cycling over 600 hours without short circuit or excessive voltage hysteresis. In another foundational work, a micro-compartmented anode array was devised to direct lateral dendrite growth into confined copper cells. By containing protrusions within defined compartments, the design achieved over 150 cycles at moderate current density while reducing separator stress and enhancing safety under abusive conditions.

Lithiophilic Current Collector Technologies for Lithium Metal Anodes publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in lithiophilic current collector technologies for lithium metal anodes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Lithiophilicity: Affinity between a material surface and lithium ions, promoting uniform nucleation.

Current collector: Conductive substrate that supports electrode reactions and transports electrons to the external circuit.

Lithium dendrite: Needle-like lithium deposit that can pierce the separator, causing short circuits.

Coulombic efficiency: Ratio of charge extracted during stripping to charge supplied during plating, indicating reversibility.

Nucleation overpotential: Extra voltage required to initiate lithium deposition on a substrate surface.

Solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI): Passivation layer formed on lithium that governs ion transport and influences stability.

References

1. Accommodating lithium into 3D current collectors with a submicron skeleton towards long-life lithium metal anodes. Nature Communications (2015).
2. Directing lateral growth of lithium dendrites in micro-compartmented anode arrays for safe lithium metal batteries. Nature Communications (2018).
3. Laser‐Constructing 3D Copper Current Collector with Crystalline Orientation Selectivity for Stable Lithium Metal Batteries. Energy & Environmental Materials (2024).
4. Electrically active/inert dual‐function architecture enabled by screen printing grid‐like SiO2 on Cu foil for ultra‐long life lithium metal anodes. EcoMat (2024).
5. Engineering High-Performance Li Metal Batteries through Dual-Gradient Porous Cu-CuZn Host. ACS Nano (2024).